Female King of Ghana

Nana Amuah-Afenyi VI

Peggyielene Bartels' life change radically two years ago, at 4:00 a.m. when she received a phone call from her home country, Ghana, informing her that her uncle, the Kind of Otum, had died.  Thinking the call was simply to inform her she gave her response and was about to put the phone down when the relative on the other side said, "No, no, no, no, Nana, don't hang up. We chose so many names, male and everybody, and somebody suggested that we choose your name, also. And when we poured libation and did the rituals, as soon as we mentioned your name, it started vaporing and we were surprised. So we did it three times. So that's when we got to know that you are the king."


Nana Amuah-Afenyi VI is Bartels' new title but she is better known as King Peggy. This 57 year old, naturalized American, was a secretary at the Ghana Embassy in Washington, D.C. She is the first female in this fishing community of 7,000 people in the central region, to be anointed King.

King Peggy

The former King died in 2008 but remained in the mortuary until Peggy could save up enough money to give her uncle a royal send off. She presided over the funeral as the King.


Peggy said that she had a choice to get the title of Queen but that would have meant that she would have to consult with whoever was king before making any decisions for the community. She did not want any hurdles and accepted the title as King. 


The title comes with heavy responsibilities. King Peggy juggles two lives - one from the palace in Otum, Ghana, and the other from her modest condo in Maryland, USA. She has been raising funds in the U.S. and is now planning to build a high school so that the children do not have to go far away to study.


King Peggy has an autobiography titled, King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village